A New Hero Awakens
by crumbsinthepickles
Summary: Link before he was a hero, alone and with a heart of gold. But does this reincarnation have what it takes to be Hyrule's most courageous hero? Or will he be running away forever?
1. A Good Heart

Early morning sunshine came through the small window next to the bed. Link blinked his eyes before placing his left arm across his face. He wasn't even tired, but he could not pull himself off of the feather mattress. Without even moving he knew how the cold floor would feel against his feet. It must have been ten minutes before he managed to get into a sitting position and remind himself again to get curtains that would block out the sun.

Not much had changed in the hut since Link moved in two years ago. He kept the same basic furniture; a table, two chairs and a bed. The counter top was always empty and the only thing that consistently filled his shelves were dust. At the foot of his bed was a trunk. It was the only thing he brought with him when he came and it still was one of the few things that he actually owned.

Link plopped a chair that was already pulled out from the table, he couldn't remember a time he ever sat in the other one. He ran his fingers through his tangled mass of blond hair. Scissors and haircuts were also on his list of things to buy. Looking down at himself all he could see was the scrawny kid he had been when he came to this town.

Breakfast wasn't much of a meal for Link, one apple. The only piece of food still in the hut. Link kicked himself for eating all of the soup last night. It was in the morning that he needed energy. While munching on his apple he went about getting ready for the day. Same brown pants and blue shirt that he wore yesterday, with the same worn out black boots as always. New ones were also on the list.

When he finally stepped out the door it was already nine and he was running late. Link casually strolled down the narrow path that lead to the village. He loved being isolated in his own little plot of land as much as he hated it. Quickly he shook away his thoughts and tossed what was left of the apple core into the forest.

Ordon village only had five families living in it, all of which had been there since the founding. Each family had found their place in the town and things never changed. First thing on Link's to-do list was to stop by the Axort house and give Sibela a hand. Her husband had died years before and when Link moved to town she barely waited an hour before offering him a job.

"Good morning dearie!" Sibela was already in the barn when Link pulled open the door. "I have some extra chores for you to do later so I wanted to give you a hand with milking so I don't take the whole day from you." Link just gave her a sideways smile and grabbed a three legged stool and a bucket from the corner of the room. The Axort's only owned two cows and it normally took Link an hour to milk them both. He knew Sibela was lying, she just wanted to spend time with someone who appreciated her work. He kept his mouth shut and didn't spoil her fun.

Link's extra chores for the day were to bring both buckets of milk next door to the Seuhan General Store. Normally Sibela kept one bucket for herself and her daughter, only when money was tight would she sell both. Link thought back to the night before when she had sent him home with a jar full of soup. He had eaten it all right before flopping down in his bed. Now guilt gnawed at his stomach, had he know the Axort's were in trouble he would have left the soup with them.

"Good morning Mr. Seuhan!"

"Ahh, and a good morning to you too Mr. Link." The old man's eyes twinkled as Link lifted the two buckets and set them on the counter. "I remember when you could barely even lift up one of those." Blood rushed to Link's face and he quickly changed the subject.

"So that is fifty rupees for the milk?"

"And a little something extra for the delivery boy," he winked as he dropped an extra blue rupee into Link's palm.

"Thank you, sir." He clumsily muttered, the tip making his blush return. Turning quickly to leave the store he ran right into Calev Almed's chest.

Calev had been holding a large basket filled with cocoo eggs, which Link had sent flying. Shells and egg whites littered the floor, some even cracked over knickknacks in the store. Looking up Link saw Calev's face was bright red from anger. The man stood a whole head taller than Link and he was twice as wide.

"I am so sorry," he stepped back and put his arms in front of in in a sloppy defense.

"YOU JUST LOST ME TWENTY RUPEE'S BOY!" Calev's yell rattle the bottles on the shelves around them.

"I am so, so sorry."

"Sorry?! Is sorry going to feed my family dinner tonight?"

"No sir."

"That's what I thought. Now give me the money you owe me and I will gladly leave."

"B-b-but I…I don't have that kind of money."

"Oh? Did the kind Mr. Seuhan not just give you fifty rupees? That is more than enough." Before Link could protest Calev has holding him in the air by the back of his shirt while his free hand started to search Link for his wallet.

"Mr. Almed." A new voice cut through the store. Master Jhnonhu calmly stepped up to Calev. "Put the young man down and let us talk this out like sensible people, shall we?" The two men locked eyes before Calev dropped Link with no warning and turned on his heel.

"I don't want to talk to no outsiders," was all he mumbled as he slammed the door behind him.

Link was at a loss for words. He just stared up at the old man who rarely left his house. Even in such a small town Master Jhnonhu was a legend. He was rumored to be the last hylian alive who was around during a time of a hero. Some didn't believe it since the last hero lived over a hundred years before, but those who had seen the way the old man carried himself couldn't help but think he was hiding a secret.

"Thank you, Master." Link pulled himself to his feet and awkwardly bowed for the old man, who chuckled.

"I think you may have that backwards," The old man smiled and walked away, browsing the shelves. Link looked back at Mr. Seuhan, who shrugged his shoulders and made a motion with his hand that told Link it was time to leave.

Once he made it back to the Axort's house the cows were in the pasture and Sibela had gone inside. Her home was very similar to Link's except that it felt like a home. A pot was supported above the fire and an aroma of stew filled the room. Her daughter, Agitha, was sitting at the table with her arms crossed and an uninterested look on her face. Sibela hugged him as he walked him and ushered him into the chair next to Agitha.

"Would you please have lunch with us, dearie?" She placed a bowl in front of him before he could answer.

"Mr. Seuhan gave you five extra rupees because of quality," Link smiled up at the plump woman and gave her the money pouch he had with him.

"I will never understand how you sweet talk him so," Dropping the pouch into her pocket she returned to the fire to grab the pot of stew.

"I'll only have a little, I'm not that hungry today."

"Oh nonsense. You will eat whatever I give you, plus a jar of leftovers." She leaned into his ear and whispered, "I can't pay you until tomorrow, please accept some food." He nodded slightly so Agitha couldn't tell. "Well, I am going to check on the cows again, enjoy your lunches!"

Awkward silence filled the room once Sibela left. Agitha was sixteen and 5 years younger than Link and obsessed with being the first in her family to get out of Ordon Village. It was a point of contention between the two of them because she could never understand why Link was there. With her mother gone her arms uncrossed and she leaned closer to the blond next to her.

"I hear you are getting a lot stronger," She grabbed his bicep as she spoke, but he shook her off.

"I guess."

"Can't even accept a complement from a pretty girl?"

"Not when the only reason a pretty girl will talk to me is to get her out of her own life." His bright blue eyes searched her for a second, making sure his words didn't hurt her too much, before returning to his stew.

"Don't be silly. I see you as so much more than a ticket to freedom," she leaned even closer to him and he pushed his chair away from the table in an attempt to put the distance back. The brunette took her chance and stood up, grabbing his shoulders and straddled his lap. "I see a strong man, who can protect a poor fatherless girl like me. She did her best to look him in the eye, but Link continued to lean back and clenched his jaw.

"Please Aggy. Let me finish my lunch."

"It'll cost ya a kiss," she leaned her chest against his and tried to move his head so that she could get her lips to his. Every muscle in his body was tense. He wasn't a very big man, but feeling the way his muscles contracted had her convinced he could move a mountain if he wanted. Finally his neck gave way and he made eye contact. His stare was cold and she knew he wasn't really looking.

"Stop Aggy. You're too young to be doing this." Just like that he stood up, but as he did he placed his left arm around her back to make sure she didn't fall. "I am going home. Thank your mother for me."

"Yeah," She looked down and her shoulders slumped.

"Hey, Aggy Bean." He lifted her chin up, "I don't want to hurt you-"

"Too late." She cut him off and tried to give him a hateful stare but he could see the tears forming.

"This is for the best." His eyes softened and he swallowed, "At least for now." He grabbed the bottle of soup and walked out trying his best not to notice the hope that spread across her face. He sighed and hoped soon she would realize that it wasn't her. Link didn't have a future. At least not one that he could plan. He refused to drag anyone else down with him.


	2. Cowardice

The forest around Ordon Village was quiet. The trees towered above Link as he sat on a stump, sipping on his stew. As he sat there his mind wandered down the path that lead out of town. It was time to move on, find some other small town no one cared about and start over. His heart sank in his chest when he thought of leaving this place. It was the first place that felt like home to him, but he knew it would only end in disaster. The people of Ordon Village were getting too close to him, Agitha especially.

Link had always been a loner. Somehow he knew his destiny, at least he thought he did. For as long as he could remember he only had one dream. In his dream it was always dark, purple and black swirling smoke would surround him. His whole body would feel broken in his dream. Blood would be everywhere. The laughter was what haunted him even during the day. A laugh that seemed pure evil, and made Link feel as though he had failed everyone. Link lived in constant fear of that laugh and the failure it seemed to predict. He always tried to think of a way to prevent it, but his mind always landed on the same solution: Make sure no one relies on him.

Planning where to go next wasn't an easy task. The plan was always to find unheard of towns so Link never truly knew where he was going. He only knew when it was time to go, and right then was the best chance he had. Capping the half empty bottle of stew, he stood up and started walking to his hut to collect his things. He could not carry his trunk with him this time, the only reason he had been able to bring it in the first place was a supply cart driver offered to bring him wherever he wanted to go. Inside the trunk was mostly empty, a second blue shirt, a sling-shot and a boomerang were all he had in there.

After he tucked his things into his belt he set out for the main part of the village, and the path that would take him to Hyrule Field, the most central location of the kingdom. Instead when the forest opened up to reveal to village to him, Link saw a small gathering by the mayor's house. In the middle of the gathering was a knight on a white horse. He was wearing the traditional uniform, a tunic with matching hat and cream colored pants. The uniform he had on was purple though, signifying high rank and working closely with the royal family. Link lingered behind the crowd and listened.

"During this time of need, the King has requested that every town sends their two most able bodied citizens to join the Knights."

"I will gladly join you and protect our royal family," Calev stepped forward and bowed to the knight, who handed him a letter.

"Who is the other able bodied man?" The knight scanned the small crowd around him.

"No one else in this town will be of use to you, sir." Calev snickered.

"Young Master Link shall join you." Every eye landed on Link who immediately looked at his toes. All the blood drained from his face and his voice sank down so low in his throat he was sure it would be ruined by stomach acid. Mostly he wanted to know who in town would refer to him as "master."

"Do you protest young man?"

"He is more than willing," An arm wrapped around his shoulders and Master Jhnonhu beamed at him. "Aren't you, Link?" A blank stare and a half nod were all that Link could manage, but that was enough to get him a letter of summons to Castle Town, where he would begin his training.

"I expect you both to be there by noon tomorrow. No excuses." The knight then galloped away, leaving a cloud of dust around the townspeople.

Zelda kneeled at the altar. In front of her three stained glass windows showed images of the three goddesses, Din, Nayru and Farore. Among the candles were small statues of all the sages of the past. She prayed for peace in her land, and peace for her father. In the past year she watched him change from a strong man to a frail elder. Thick brown hair had faded to gray around his temples and thinned at the top. His eyes were no longer bright and excited by dull and tired. It had all started when her mother died.

Since that night the security in the castle had quadrupled and Zelda was hardly let off the castle grounds. Someone had broken into the castle and killed the Queen in her sleep while the King was away. If her father knew who had been responsible he never told Zelda, only that she needed to be careful and watch for strange people at all times.

"Princess." Zelda jumped when her personal caretaker, Impa, appeared at her side. She could never get used to the ninja like sheikah. "The king would like you to see the new recruits."

"Why? He never wanted me to see them before."

"He wants you to know what faces you should be seeing around, so no imposters can sneak in unnoticed by you." Zelda placed her hands on the altar and pulled herself to her feet. Without speaking she turned and started walking out of the room. Impa silently followed the princess through the castle corridors until she stopped on a balcony overlooking the main courtyard.

The king already stood on the balcony and smiled as she stepped into the sunlight. Below them was a crowd of at least one hundred men. They stood in straight lines, their matching green uniforms making it seem as though the grass had eyes. All untrained and most of them from small villages. Zelda couldn't imagine that most of them even knew how to hold a sword properly.

"Are you sure you can turn them into a worthy army?" She didn't even look at her father as she asked the question.

"No. But it is our only chance." He stepped up the railing and addressed the crowd below him. "Welcome to Castle Town! I hope you all enjoyed your mornings, because I cannot promise you much fun from here on out. Training will begin immediately. We will break at seven for dinner and then you will continue to train. As some of you may know, there has been a darkness closing in on Hyrule. It is only by some unknown miracle that the sun still shines upon the hylian people. We must prepare to protect ourselves from what is coming. The neighboring Zora's and Goron's have stopped sending messengers and our messengers never return from their countries. We can only assume the worst."

Zelda scanned the crowd, skeptical if these men could do what the Hero of Time had done. Yes, the hero was only one man while a hundred stood before her, but that meant nothing. Darkness coming to Hyrule was nothing new in their history. It always ended the same. A new hero would arise, the triforce of courage would attach itself to his soul, giving him the strength to succeed. Were things still not bad enough to make the hero come? Did the hundreds of knights killed while helping the neighboring people count for nothing?

Link was boiling underneath his clothes. They had been told to wear the full uniform, including the chain mail which weighed heavily on his shoulders. He ignored the king and looked at the men around him. Some had laughter in their eyes, as if the impending war was a joke. Other's looked terrified, like the world had already ended for them. Link's gut told him this was his last adventure. This is how the crippling pain would fill his body as smoke surrounded him. This was what would lead him to that awful laughter that rang in his ears his whole life. The crowd felt as though it was closing in on him and he didn't know if closing his eyes would calm him down or make the fear building up in him worse. He hadn't even realized the king had stopped speaking when a knight in a blue tunic handed him a sword and shield. They were heavy and felt heavy in his hands. He never would be able to fight skillfully with these objects, no wonder he was destined to die.

They began training in the courtyard with the king and princess watching from above. Practicing swing their swords and how to hold them properly. While everyone else seemed to improve as the hours dragged on Link was constantly corrected. The tip of his sword dropped too low on his swing. His hand was placed too low on the hilt. The broad side of the sword would have hit an enemy, not the sharp side. By dinner time he was exhausted and determined to find a way out of the program. He doubted the king would want him in his army anyway. Plus, if he got out, he could avoid that laughter.

For dinner the small army moved out into Hyrule Field. Tents had been pitched while they practiced sword fighting and food had been laid out on five long tables. Most of the men sat at the tables, some took plates away and sat in small clusters around the camp. Link sat alone. A small bowl of soup in his lap, all his belongings in a small pouch next to him. He'd be forced to carry them around for the rest of the day as bunks wouldn't be assigned until after the archery lesson planned for after dinner. The field was so dark Link could barely see five feet from the edge of camp. A simple and direct solution to his dilemma. He stood up, grabbed his bag and just walked away, leaving the camp, the army, and the empty bowl behind.


	3. The Silent Archer

Princess Zelda watched Link desert. From her window she could see the camp and the small shadow of a man sitting by himself. Her gut told her this was the same blond haired boy who looked like he was going to throw up during her father's speech. His eyes had been clamped shut and he swayed as if he was about to faint, out of everyone in the crowd he seemed the most hopeless. When he stood up she could see the outline of the sword and shield on his back, he didn't even look back to see if anyone watched him leave. She wasn't angry at the man who felt no need to protect her and her kingdom. Logic told her that the army was only as strong as its weakest link, and she was sure that that weak spot just walked away. Maybe he knew that a mistake had been made and that it would be better if her were to leave.

She thought about the boy's face when he stood in the crowd. Long blond hair. Bright blue eyes. Zelda walked to a mirror and gazed at her own face. Her blonde hair, her blue eyes. If the holder of the triforce of courage would not appear, maybe the holder of the triforce of wisdom would be enough to seal away the darkness coming for Hyrule. From the balcony the man did not seem to be too big, and he kept to himself enough that no one would know him apart from any other blond wearing a green uniform.

Bending her arm behind her back, Zelda grasped the zipper and pulled it down, letting her gown easily fall off her body. She stepped out of it and walked to a large armoire in the corner of her room. In the bottom drawer was a green tunic and cream colored pants, a new soldier's uniform complete with sword and shield. Quickly she pulled on the pants, chain mail and tunic. She returned to the mirror to put the long pointed cap on her head, carefully tucking her hair into it to hide the length. The uniform was loose enough to hide her figure, even when she put the sword and shield on her back. She knew the soldiers would be returning to the courtyard to practice archery, some servants had been putting out targets since the men left. She checked the window to make sure they were getting ready to return and then slipped out her door and headed for the courtyard.

"Now that we have seen sword skills we want to see who has skills with a bow and arrow. We want everyone to be competent with both, however, starting tomorrow you will be divided into two groups. One will have training specialized in sword use, while the other will be trains with a bow." Zelda slipped into the crowd and listened to the general. He divided the men into ten groups of ten and lined them up at ten large targets lined up along the wall. One man from each group was to shoot at the target three times and then wait for the generals to assess the targets, then the next man would go, until all ten men had fired three arrows.

Zelda stood in the back of her line. Most of the men were much taller than her and she strained to look around them to see how well the first group was shooting. In the first group only one man was able to hit the target, the other 29 arrows fired were either buried in the ground or broken from hitting the stone wall behind the targets. The next eight groups were mostly the same, a handful of men were able to hit the target with all three arrows, but most showed how little the people of Hyrule knew about aiming.

After what seemed like an eternity it was Zelda's turn. The bow resting on the quiver was smooth and polished. The string was tight, yet easy enough for her to pull back. Although she was used to her golden bow that rested in the back room of the armory, along with her father's longsword. Still she pulled out the first arrow and nocked it. She closed her left eye as she raised the bow up, holding it steady with her left arm she pulled by the string by her fingertips. A few minor adjustments to the aim, and smoothly released the string, sending the arrow soaring straight into the center of the target.

There were no applause. No outburst of the first bull's eye of the night. No one paid much attention to the small man who separated himself from the group. So the princess silently nocked two more arrows, each hitting the same spot as the first and splitting the arrow that was already there. Pleased with herself she set down the bow and waited for the general's assessment.

"Link of Ordon Village." He called and waved Zelda to step forward. "It looks like for the first time today you showed some promise." He gestured to the target. "No one else here was able to even come close to your performance today. Congratulations. You are not a complete failure after all. Back in line." Zelda bowed her head slightly and hurried to the end of the line. The same rotation happened until ten at night. Every arrow Zelda shot was a bull's eye. By the end of the night twenty men had burrowed their arrows into the center of the target and about a dozen others hit the target. Those men along with Zelda were assigned to sleep in tent one, while the rest of the men would stay in tent two.

Link wasn't sure where to go. He was still wearing a knight's uniform and it was only a matter of time before someone noticed he had gone missing. Though he figured he would be hard to find since even he didn't know which direction he had wandered off too. All that mattered to him was getting to cover before sunrise, or else the whole army would see him and who knew what punishment would be given. As the hours passed he got more and more nervous. There was no moonlight or stars that night so it was impossible to see ahead and for all he knew he was walking in circles.

After a while he could sense the world closing in around him, as if he found some pathway between cliffs. Soon Link noticed that it was no longer silent, and there was a slight bug like noise coming from ahead. Although the sound was clearly an insect it seemed to loud to be a normal bug. He stopped and strained his ears and eyes, hoping to hear or see something that would help him understand what he was hearing. Without warning he heard a spring like noise and a mass was on top of him. All he felt were four limbs wrapping themselves around him and pinning him to the ground.

Link wriggled his body until the thing lost its grip. It only took a second for Link to pull himself out and draw his sword. He had no idea where the thing was or how it would attack next so he started swinging the sword wildly in all directions. Next thing he knew he felt a blow to his back and he was sprawled out on his stomach. The sword had been knocked from is right hand and landed somewhere on the ground above his head. While trying to kick the monster off of him he did his best to reach for the sword, but could only get his left hand around the hilt. Without thinking about what he was doing he swung the sword in a smooth arc over his body. He felt when the blade made contact with the creature, but it only added a slight resistance to his swing.

The body, now cut in half, landed on either side of him with a small thud. He laid there for a minute. Eyes wide and hands shaking. It was the first time he ever killed anything, the man hadn't even killed a fly in his twenty one years of life, let alone some mystery creature that was almost as big as him. Part of him wanted to get up and give it a proper burial, while the other part reminded him he was on the run from the royal army.

He wiped his sword off in the grass, unsure if there was any blood on it from the creature or not. Before moving, he listened for sounds of any more bug creatures, or worse, any knights approaching. When everything remained silent he started walking again. Instead of sheathing his sword he kept it firmly grasped in his left hand, it seemed more balanced and comfortable there. Like an old friend. Link also pulled the shield off his back. If anything else popped out at him, he would be ready.

The next morning Zelda quickly realized how cumbersome broadswords were. She could barely lift up her arm for more than ten minutes holding it and she knew using it in a fight would be out of the question. A large circle had formed around her even before the lesson began, she imagined this was because of how poorly Link had handled the sword. Struggling to get the blade high enough to mortally wound someone Zelda decided to take a break for a minute and observe the knights training around her.

"Not so good with a heavy sword are you?" Impa's familiar voice rang in her ear and Zelda jumped noticeably. "Perhaps the princess would have more success with a rapier?" The woman whispered, a hint of mischief in her eyes. Zelda pressed her index finger to her lips and nodded her head to the side before leading Impa away from the crowd.

"Please, they can't know."

"They can't know? You can't be doing this. These are going to be real knights going to fight real battles, Zelda. You need to be kept safe."

"No. My kingdom needs to be safe." Zelda's eyes hardened on her caregiver.

"Please, you don't understand what you are saying."

"Yes I do. I was trained to fire a bow. I can learn to use a sword. I can protect Hyrule better than half these men." She realized she was speaking quite loudly and lowered her voice. "Impa, I need to do this."

"No you don't. These men will learn." Impa looked over at the men and made a face of uncertainty.

"Even you don't believe in these rag-tag warriors, one of them didn't even make it through the first night."

"If you want to train as one of them fine. But I cannot allow you to sleep in their bunks. And your father must be informed." Impa then disappeared, as she often did, leaving Zelda without a choice in the matter.


	4. A Hero Awakens

The sun shone into Link's eyes and stirred him from the worst sleep he had ever gotten. He had fallen asleep under a tree with his hat folded and placed on a root to act as a pillow. His chain mail had been digging into his back all night and his hands were stiff from gripping the sword and shield, ready to fight at a moment's notice. It was not just his uncomfortable sleeping position that ruined his sleep though, Link was sure that had he been on his familiar feather mattress he still would have had a fitful sleep. His mind could not leave the mystery creature he had slayed, his mixed emotions on if he had done something bad or good.

Now in the daylight he took in his surroundings and hoped to recognize something. He was in the middle of a forest that looked nothing like the one that surrounded Ordon. It was somehow darker, even though the sun shone just as bright and the foliage was no thicker than at home. Link could not even see the path that he had followed to get there. His stomach growled and he decided to go out and look for food before worrying about where he was.

He put away his weapons, feeling safer during the day, and started off in a random direction. It was eerily quiet around him, no sounds of squirrels or other wildlife running about. He didn't even hear the leaves rustling in the wind. Link's hand twitched as he debated on grabbing his sword or not keeping an eye on his surroundings.

Eventually he ran into a fence made up of sticks sharpened at both ends and stuck into the ground. He crouched behind and rock and listened to see if anyone or anything was around. Behind the fence he saw three creatures. Two of them were red and had huge triangular ears, both held machetes and stood chatting in some language Link could not understand. The other creature was much bigger, it had a pig's head and carried a spear over its shoulder. Its skin was a color between green and gray and it paced back and forth in front of the other two. If Link did not know any better he would say he was looking at two bokoblins and a moblin. But of course that was impossible, they only appeared when the evil sealed away by the goddesses returns.

As he was getting ready to sneak back into the forest and run away Link noticed what was in the middle of the fenced off area. The hollowed out husk of the old Deku tree rotted behind a smaller tree that the two bokoblins were standing guard by. The new Deku tree was expected to live thousands of years, so even at a hundred it was still considered very young. But instead of a healthy tree the bark seemed gray and the few leaves that clung to the branches were browning.

"Damn it," Link muttered under his breath. The Deku tree kept the forest alive and healthy, without it life would come to a standstill, especially in small towns like Ordon. Sibela's face appeared in the back of his mind and he could not bring himself to abandon the tree, looking down at his belt he made a quick plan.

With his boomerang in hand Link sneaked his way to the entrance of the small fortress. The moblin's back was toward him and before the bokoblins had a chance to warn their comrade of the intruder they were knocked unconscious by the boomerang being thrown. Link drew his sword with his left hand while catching the boomerang with his right and replacing it in his belt. The moblin turned around just in time to watch the sword lop his head off and the creature turned to smoke. Somehow knowing these creatures just disappeared after being killed made link feel less bad about using his sword and he returned to the two unconscious bokoblins and stabbed them each quickly in the heart, watching them both swirl away in a cloud of smoke.

The tree's eyes cracked open and gave Link as questioning of a glance as a tree could manage. He nodded at the tree and knelt before it.

"You are safe now, Great Deku Tree." He bowed his head at the legendary creature.

"Could it be," The voice sounded like trees creaking in the wind. "Has the hero returned?"

"No sir, but you are freed from the monsters that were hurting you." He got no response except a blank stare. "Well, I-I am going to go now." Link's voice trailed off as he realized he didn't know what else to say.

"You cannot!" The tree's words cracked like branches. "Your fellow soldiers are trapped inside! You must save them!"

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly." stammering Link realized if he saved the soldiers he would be brought back and charged as a deserter, but if he did not save them who knew what would happen to them.

"What!? Are you a coward? Going to turn your back on your own? A disgrace to all Hylians! That is what you are!" Link had never experienced being glared at by a tree and was glad that it was too weak to be angry much longer. Its branches got limp and its eyes shut once more. He could hear a slight breeze coming out of its nose and knew that it was still alive. He looked up at the old Deku tree and made his decision. Clenching his jaw and his sword he took his first steps inside the Deku Tree.

After lunch Zelda's group returned to training. Some members of the opposite group were to join them and help train those who were still struggling with their sword skills. The King stood above the courtyard and observed the new recruits with Impa at his side. They had discussed the situation and he agreed to let Zelda train, as long as she maintained the cover as Link of Ordon. As Link she would not be a target on the battlefield. He also agreed with Impa that the broadsword would not work well for the princess and made it clear that those recruits who could not hold a broadsword were to be given a rapier. As it turned out only one rapier needed to be given.

"Link! scrawny and weak as ever I see." A booming voice called out behind Zelda. She turned to see a man who towered above her and whose sword was pointing toward her neck. "It might be better for ye if ye just went home and milked old Sibela's cows." Zelda felt all the blood rush from her face. If this man knew the real Link he would easily be able to tell she was an imposter. She clenched her jaw and turned away from him, hoping the obvious hostility he had towards Link was a mutual thing.

"You dare turn away from me!" The large man bellowed and grabbed the princess by her shoulder, spinning her around to face him. "Fight me now, you want to all of a sudden act like a man? Well be one." He swung his sword around and hit Zelda in the gut with the broad side. She fell to the ground and the wind was knocked out of her. Closing her eyes she tried to pull herself together and struggled to her feet.

Without saying a word she lifter her rapier and pointed it at him, the look of determination in her eyes was enough to tell him she accepted the challenge. Zelda spent the beginning of the battle dodging attacks and observing her opponent. The longer he went without hitting his target the sloppier his movement became. By swinging his heavy sword far behind him he gave her time to counterattack as he changed the momentum of his blade to move forward. She waited for a particularly hard swing and crouched on one leg while keeping her left leg extended, she pivoted and swung her leg behind the tall man knocking him flat on his back. Effortlessly she stood up and placed the point of her rapier on the soft part of his neck while kicking his sword out of his reach.

Applause erupted around her and she realized everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch the strongest and weakest swordsmen of all the recruits fight. Zelda beamed and looked up at the wall at her father and Impa who both seemed just as proud. She withdrew her sword and offered her hand to the man she had just defeated. He swatted it away and pulled himself to his feet before walking away, muttering under his breath the whole time.

"She will make a great queen someday," the King mused as he watched his daughter, "Maybe she will be as great a general as me."

"I still believe her place is behind the battles and deciding strategy." Impa responded curtly, "The holder of Nayru's wisdom should not be recklessly running about."

"Ah, my dear Impa, perhaps leading by example is the wisest choice for Hyrule right now." He smiled at the young bodyguard and with his head motioned it was time to go back inside.


	5. Inside the Deku Tree

The Deku Tree was huge inside. Link stood still for minute just looking around the cavern. Sun shone through holes in the wall caused by a hundred years of rotting, but the tree seemed to be standing because of the vines that coated the walls. Even some of the rotten through patches had a web of vines closing the gap, the faint glow behind it was the only clue that there was no longer actual wood there. Above him a ledge went all the way around the cavern, most of it seemed to rotten to hold any weight though. The floor was made of dirt except for a large circular area that had a floor made of wooden boards and a ladder going down.

Finally deciding to take a step away from the doorway when he was hit in the rib by a small seed. He looked around to see where it had come from but saw nothing but weeds littering the floor. He took another step and then was hit in the side of the head by another deku seed, quickly turning to see the direction it had come from he saw a deku scrub jumping back into the ground. Taking his sword and shield off his back Link cautiously starting walking away from the scrub and listened for it to spit out another one. When he heard it coming he lifted his shield to protect himself and heard the small ding of the seed bouncing off. What he didn't expect was the high pitched cry that came after and the puff of smoke that appeared where the scrub once was.

Link grimaced. This was already the fifth thing he had killed in the past twenty-four hours. He vowed to himself that after he freed the two soldiers he would never kill another thing again. He also promised himself that he would disappear and live out the rest of his life as a hermit, safe and away from anyone who might rely on him. Stepping onto the ladder he climbed down into the darkness.

A single lantern flickered in the center of the room. In only a few minutes Link felt his throat drying out from the dead air around him. He couldn't see anything in the darkness but heard a scurrying noise above him. Trying not to think about what lurked in the darkness he pushed his feet along the ground and to the side of him. It seemed like ages before he found anything useful. He had run into a couple of walls, some bars, and some unit lantern, but finally after searching he found an old, dry stick on the ground. The second it touched it to the fire the stick ignited. Now with the light to guide him Link quickly lit the other lanterns in the room before the flame on his stick hit his hand.

Unfortunately for Link he was not alone in the room, and the keese that were previously sleeping were not as happy about the light. Swooping down from the ceiling they bit and scratched at his face and hands. It was nearly impossible for Link to reach behind him and pull out his sword. He pulled his slingshot out from his waistband and started waving it madly around him. He was only able to strike two of the keese and heard them screech and turn to smoke. Link decided his best bet was to roll around the room and get some distance between them and him. Somehow while he was midroll his left hand seemed to know what to do and seamlessly unsheathed his sword and he turned on the keese, slashing four of them out of the air in a single sweep.

Link was amazed at how quickly he was able to clear the room. He leaned against the base of the center lantern and breathed heavily for a few minutes. His left shoulder was so sore he couldn't imagine how his arm would stay attached once he stood up. Sweat tickled the back of his neck and he felt as though he would pass out, the only thing that kept him from doing so was the tightening of panic in his chest at the thought of being unconscious in this place.

Although, the room didn't seem so scary anymore now that the keese were gone and all the lanterns were going. He was in the lowest part of the room, surrounding him were three ledges at different heights. The bars he had kicked early blocked off a small hole on the same level that he was sitting on. Like in the upper level vines coated the room, but these ones were brown and dry. On the middle level was the only door in the room. It was easy to jump up to each level and LInk headed into the next room.

The room was a circle with five flowers around the edges. Relief washed over Link, a room that was nothing more than a normal room. His arms dropped to his sides but he still held his weapons as he walked forward. All five flowers growls as Deku Babas popped out in their places. The giant, purple, man eating plants snarled at Link who stood frozen in the center of all of them. Slowly he stretched his left and behind him and took a deep breath. His sword was long enough to cut eat of their stems if he spun quickly enough. Putting all of his effort into the swing Link's body whirled around four times before coming to a halt. Five dark clouds surrounded him.

Once the smoke was clear he heard the sound of bars receding, he hadn't noticed before but when the door shut behind him both the door across from him and the one he had just entered became barred off, only being freed after he defeated his enemies. His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword as he prepared to enter the next room, determined not to be surprised again.

"Link, come sit with us," it was about the hundredth time someone had asked Zelda to eat with them and she wasn't even close to getting her stew yet. Although she agreed with her father that sleeping in the camp was inappropriate Zelda's stomach churned at what was going to happen that night when it was noticed that she did not report after the last training session. She supposed her father had tipped off the commanding officers, but if they had been told she doubted they would be pushing her as hard as they have been.

More men walked by and offered her a seat at their table and she just smiled and nodded. Because of his defeat on the training field Calev had been spending extra attention to Link so Zelda was taking extra care not to blow her cover. Calev would know Link's voice so Zelda did not talk, Calev would know his mannerisms so she would avoid him completely. She worried she already shocked him too much by knocking him down earlier. Once her bowl was filled she strolled to the edge of camp where she could eat alone and be more aware of whose eyes were on her.

Zelda's mind wandered to the real Link. He was small, but he had to have some sort of strength to be nominated by his town. Part of her felt guilty, even with his sword he would have a hard time protecting himself if continued to run for much longer, and had she told someone that he was walking off it could have saved his life. She couldn't think of that, the real Link had to be alive, if he wasn't how could she ever forgive herself.

The horn that signaled the end of dinner and the start of the last training session cut her train of thought. Zelda pulled herself to her feet, she could not think of a time she had had so much exercise. She gave one last look at the darkening horizon, hoping to see some sign that he was out there. That's when she saw the silhouette of a soldier's uniform approaching the camp from across the field. Without hesitation she ran towards the figure, attracting the attention of the other recruits and training officers, all of whom followed her once they saw what she was after.

The soldier wore a gray tunic, signifying him as a scout. His clothes were spattered with blood and he limped badly on his right leg. Zelda was the first to reach him and as soon as she was close enough he collapsed in her arms. She pulled him close to her and could smell fire and pine trees on him. The rest of the groups caught up with her just in time for the soldier to look up at her and gasp,

"It's _you._"


End file.
